bitless dressage event

[giveitago]

i'm a member of a riding club.

I have bitted and bitless horses and about to stick my neck on the line..

Who would like to enter a dressage class that allows bitless bridles?

Has anyone got any advice on how you run a dressage event without BD rules applying?

 

[itsonlyme]

I would love to. One of mine is in a Dr Cook & goes so much nicer in that than when she's bitted. No idea how u would go about organising it though, sorry But good luck x

 

[Jericho]

I would, most definitely!

I ride in both bitless and bitted. My mare is happier without a bit and I would prefer to ride like that all the time but have to keep working her with a bit so I can compete.

 

[giveitago]

I'm going to start looking into the legalities.

I think it would be better to ride the same test alongside bitted horses, perhaps a prelim and a novice class. However, that means running the whole event outside of BD rules.

Has anyone any experience of running this type of event?

 

[Batgirl]

Forgive my ignorance but can't you just run an unaffiliated dressage event and amend the rules, like they do at 'beginners' events where you can have different tack etc?

I would have certainly entered with my old boy as he was fab in his hackamore.

 

[Gamebird]

If it's unaffiliated then you can do what you like - your competition, your rules. You can have a rule saying that all riders must dress from head to toe in green if you like

I'd run a bitted and bitless section of the same class and award prizes for each. It would be interesting to compare scores across sections so you'd need the same judge. You might have to look carefully to find a more enlightened judge but I reckon if it were well enough advertised you'd get a few entries. What about going one step further and having a headcollar section too?

 

[crabbymare]

If its unaff you can simply put on the front of the schedule in biggish letters that BD rules apply but that bitless bridles of x type or with a shank of less than x cms will be allowed. your show your decision but you do need to let the judges know in advance so that they can agree to it before they accept the booking as its possible that some may decide for some reason that they don't want to judge bitless people.

 

[Ludi-doodi]

I like gamebird's thougts about split sections but wonder how many people would opt for the bitless. I'm on a yard of mostly happy hackers and some who not very often compete unaff but can't think of any who ride bitless

I once did an unaff comp using an english hackamore as horse had taken a bottom front tooth out. I rang the venue beforehand and asked if it was ok. Then on the day I spoke to the judge beforehand (he was a listed judge although it was unaff comp) to say I'd had permission. We won the novice class that day.

 

[ihatework]

Our riding club used to run a class/section that allowed people to use whatever tack or gadgets they liked, that could be doing your prelim test in a gag/Pelham/bitless or using a martingale, draw reins, boots etc

 

[Kat]

Our yard do have a go dressage that has no tack rules. Means we normally have competitors in myler combinations, Dr cooks, mylers with curb chains, martingales etc. Works fine for them, narks me a bit as I make the effort to have mine in legal tack but I can compete under bd rules elsewhere.

 

[giveitago]

Many thanks for your replies.

It will be for those riders that prefer bitless or headcollar or cordeo, it is not intended for people to add gadgetry to their horses such as martingales and pelhams.

I'll make a plan, put it to the comitee and see what we can do.

Any other suggestions very welcome.

 

[Wheels]

What a great idea! I would attend if I was in your area